I parked my car at a bike shop in Sedalia right next to the
KATY trail, Pro-Velo
cycles. They were very helpful |
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The
trail is built on the bed of the old KATY railroad and crosses most of
the state. The surface is a hard packed gravel and the grades are
gentle, so it's relatively easy cycling. |
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The
colors were just changing. The leaves under my wheels made a wonderful
rhythmic crunching sound. |
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I
carried all my camping gear and most of my food for the 5 days and 4
nights I was out. |
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The
larger towns had restored their train stations, and even the little
towns had some shops and restaurants near the trail. |
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Hard to see it
behind me in the shadows, but near Rocheport there's still an original
railroad tunnel. This is probably the prettiest part of the trail.
Lots of B&B's in Rocheport. |
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| I spent my first
night in a Conservation Area right off the trail. No amenities, but it
was a gorgeous place. This is what I woke up to on Monday morning.
Hope you had a lousy commute. |
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| Breakfast on the
trail. Note the stylin' footware with the baggie on my toes to keep
them dry.. |
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| This old bridge
leads to the CA where I camped. A Boy Scout Eagle project cleared the
camp area and worked on the trails. Lots to explore in the area. |
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| This
is right along the MO river. There's a natural arch carved in the
stone. These bluffs were so pretty - lots more color than shows in the
photos. |
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| Easley
Hill! This is looking up, near the top. I cycled to Easley many times
when I was at MU. I was glad to get a chance to ride one of my old
favorites again. |
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| Easley
Hill, looking down. I hit 37 mph down this hill. Later in the Ozarks I
got up to 45 a couple of times. Of course I was very soon back to 8
mph climbing the next hill, but that's part of the fun. Or the pain. |
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| Another view of
the hills along the MO River. I'm smiling because I'm still on the KATY trail.
In another day I'll be out on the road dealing with headwind and hills. |
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| End of
the KATY trail for me. I crossed the bridge on a highway and was back
on pavement. I rode around the capital on Columbus Day so it was
pretty quiet. Cup of great coffee and a scone right near the Capital
really hit the spot, though |
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| After
sleeping in a cheap motel Monday night in Jeff City to avoid the rain
(hey, I'm getting to be an old man) I cycled Route C through some
rolling Mo countryside. The photo doesn't show the stiff headwind that
I had for the next 50 miles. Ugh, I thought I left that in KS! |
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| My
head's blocking the sign, but Route J on my last morning leaving the
Ozarks was a perfect riding road - lots of trees, hills, curves, and
friendly dogs. That turned out to be the road I went down there for. |
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Morning
fog. I camped right next to a spring fed stream that lead into the
Lake of the Ozarks. I camped here 2 nights.
The second day I toured around the area: visited Jacob's Cavern; rode
the rollercoaster Ozark highways; and found the classic Ozark lunch -
not at an old burger shop like I was looking for but instead at a DQ
right on the busy highway - that's really the quintessential Ozark
dining experience, I guess. |
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| I was glad to get
back to Sedalia after 5 days of riding. I rode a total of 240 miles.
That left lots of time for reading, relaxing, and just enjoying my
"tree time". |
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| Ebby Norman of
ProVelo was really nice and helpful. Great shop, nice guy. |
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| I found all the
hills I could want on this trip. The fall color was beautiful, despite
the hard summer the area had. I'll keep memories that I couldn't take
pictures of: the clear, cold nights perfect for stargazing, the
pancake breakfast at the small town diner, the Amish buggy clipping
along while I struggled up one of the hills near Versailles, and just
how wonderful it can feel to sit next to a tree in a city park and
relax after 4 hard hours of cycling. I love the feeling of independence
solo bicycle camping can give, even for this short of trip. I'm ready
to go again! |
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